Did You Know That You Can Recycle Your Gasparilla Beads…..and Get FREE Doughnuts?

Now that Gasparilla weekend is over do you find yourself with a house full of beads? Sure they are different colors and styles, and from different Krewes but, how many beads can you collect each year?

If you are looking for a way to recycle your beads there are a few ways to do so! First of all, NEVER throw them in your trash or recycle bins, if discarded incorrectly, the beads can actually get tangled in the truck’s machinery and cause major problems.

The MacDonald Training Center will be collecting beads from Gasparilla Parade-goers and their students will sort and then re-pack them and sell them to the Krewes for the next parade. This is a great opportunity for Tampa Bay residents to recycle their unwanted beads and an opportunity for the MacDonald Training Center (5420 W. Cypress Street) students to get work experience. The beads can be dropped off at the MacDonald Training Center and the following locations:

Kate Jackson Community Center

Port Tampa Community Center

Loretta Ingraham Recreation Complex

Copeland Park Center

Kripsy Kreme will be bringing their “Beads for Doughnuts” promotion, a program they began in New Orleans to recycle Mardi Gras Beads, to Tampa as another chance to recycle your beads. On February 24, 2018 from 9:00am until 5:00pm, the Krispy Kreme at 3113 W Kennedy Boulevard, will be offering a FREE dozen doughnuts to everyone who brings in 12 pounds of Gasparilla beads.